Where Does Duplicati Store Its Database?
Duplicati server database and job files on every OS, and why tray and service modes see different backups.
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Duplicati tracks everything in Duplicati-server.sqlite: server config, credentials, logs, with per job databases beside it. User mode keeps it in the profile (%LOCALAPPDATA%\Duplicati on Windows, ~/.config/Duplicati on Linux, ~/Library/Application Support/Duplicati on Mac).
Service mode is the trap. It runs as SYSTEM or root with its own database elsewhere (C:\ProgramData\Duplicati on recent Windows builds, /root/.config or /var/lib/Duplicati on Linux), so backups seem to vanish when switching modes. Newer versions also demand locked down folder permissions and refuse to start otherwise. Override anywhere with DUPLICATI_HOME.
Where Duplicati stores this, by platform
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Duplicati\Duplicati-server.sqlite
User (TrayIcon) mode. Service mode uses C:\ProgramData\Duplicati (2.1.0.108+) or the SYSTEM profile path on older builds. Older user installs may still use %APPDATA%\Duplicati. Override with --server-datafolder or DUPLICATI_HOME.
~/Library/Application Support/Duplicati/Duplicati-server.sqlite
Same contents as other OSes. Versions 2.0.8.1 and older used ~/.config/Duplicati instead; check the old path when migrating. Override with DUPLICATI_HOME.
~/.config/Duplicati/Duplicati-server.sqlite
User mode. Root/service mode uses /root/.config/Duplicati, and 2.1.0.108+ prefers /var/lib/Duplicati. Override with DUPLICATI_HOME.
Frequently asked questions
My backups disappeared after switching Duplicati to service mode. Where are they?
Still in the old database. TrayIcon and service modes use different folders, so each sees only its own jobs. Point the service at the old folder via DUPLICATI_HOME or export and reimport the job configs.
Duplicati refuses to start over folder permissions. What does it want?
Recent versions require the data folder locked down to the running user only. Run the secure-datafolder tool it names, or pass --allow-insecure-datafolder if you accept the risk.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.